As Was (Ger van Elk)

Kijkcoach Johan: "Een onherkenbaar portret. Zonder gezicht kun je namelijk moeilijk iemand herkennen. De kunstenaar die hier geportretteerd is stond bekend om zijn halflange witte haar, bekenden van hem zouden hem alleen al aan zijn achterhoofd kunnen herkennen."

This artwork is an inkjet print on combination with a laser-cut shape covered in epoxy-dough and coffee-grind. The most important reason Michiel chooses to use coffee is the color and texture. It is not replaceable for another material. Besides that, it also has a typical smell.

Brown is the color of coffee, but also of wood or soil. It is seen as a manly color, that resonates confidence. In Chinese culture the color brown stand for stagnation, poverty and diligence. In the middle ages most people found brown the ugliest color. The clothes of peasants, servants and beggars.

Before he started working as an artist Michiel made a television series for one of the Dutch national channels. It was called Hollandse Meesters, Dutch Masters. The series portraited Dutch contemporary artist. Every episode was fifteen minutes long and showed artists at work in their studios.